Low rate of Hallowe'en fireworks injuries

Only five people in the Western Health and Social Care Trust (WHSCT) were injured by bangers, sparklers or rockets in 2010 a marked decrease on 2007 when three times as many injuries were reported.

The information is contained in a new government bulletin entitled Northern Ireland Fireworks Injuries 2010.

The statistics refer to the number of persons injured by fireworks and treated at emergency care departments in Northern Ireland during the 2010 Halloween period.

The 2010 Halloween period is described as the four weeks from Sunday, October 17 to Sunday, November 14 inclusive.

Across Northern Ireland during the 2010 Halloween period, 47 persons were reported to an emergency care department as result of a firework related injury.

The Western Trust accounted for 11 per cent of those injuries - down on 13 in 2006 and 15 in 2007 but up on 0 in 2008 and four in 2009.

The majority of those injured across Northern Ireland were young males.

The report states: "Almost two thirds (29) of the 47 people injured from fireworks during the 2010 Halloween period were aged under 18. Of those 29, over half (16) were aged 11 to 15 years.

"During each of the last five years, the highest proportions of those injured from fireworks and reporting to emergency care departments were aged under 18."

It also states: "In 2010, over four in five (83 per cent) persons injured from fireworks were male.

"Since the 2006 Halloween period, the proportion of females injured from fireworks has increased by 14 percentage points, from 3 per cent (2) of all injuries in 2006 to 17 per cent (8) in 2010."

Most people received injuries to one part of their body (43 persons) with four persons receiving injuries to two sites.

"The most common site of injuries from firework related incidents were to the wrist or hand (41 per cent of all injuries)," the report states.

Equally, of the 47 persons injured by fireworks, two fifths (19) indicated that it was a casual incident in a public place (eg. street) and 17 per cent (8) reported that the incident occurred at a family or private party.